HYDERABAD: As India looks beyond Earth’s orbit and deeper into space, its human spaceflight ambitions enter a decisive phase, with a series of missions set to shape the country’s next chapter in space exploration.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stands at the threshold of a defining period as it prepares for the first uncrewed mission under the Gaganyaan initiative in 2026, a crucial step towards sending Indians into space.
At a national conference organised by the Aeronautical Society of India, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan says the agency completes nearly 8,000 tests and experiments to human-rate its launch systems and crew escape mechanisms. He also outlines plans for a G20 satellite mission around 2027, reflecting India’s expanding role in global space cooperation.
The Gaganyaan programme unfolds as a carefully structured series of eight missions, including three uncrewed flights, two crewed missions, two docking experiments and one mission linked to the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS). Scheduled between 2028 and 2035, the BAS programme forms a cornerstone of India’s long-term ambitions in space.
Narayanan describes the complexity of docking missions: “If two cars are moving on a busy road without stopping or colliding, and you are asked to connect them, you can imagine the challenge. Now consider two satellites travelling at nearly 28,400 kmph, aligning and docking in space without any human intervention. Achieving a precise, soft docking under such conditions is extremely difficult. Last year, we successfully demonstrate this capability, becoming the fourth country in the world to do so.”
Each milestone brings the programme closer to reality. A recent step is the successful Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) conducted on April 10 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, validating the parachute-based deceleration system designed for the crew module of the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission.
Beyond human spaceflight, ISRO shapes a larger vision that extends to building its own space station. The BAS, envisioned as a five-module structure with a total mass of about 52 tonnes, is designed to support three to four astronauts, with the capacity to host up to six for shorter durations. With the first module targeted for launch by 2028 and full operational capability expected by 2035, the station is set to become a gateway for interplanetary missions and advanced research in microgravity, space biology and space medicine.
Tracing ISRO’s journey, Narayanan notes that India launches over 4,000 sounding rockets and conducts 105 launch vehicle missions, developing platforms such as PSLV and GSLV Mk III capable of carrying payloads of up to 10,000 kg to low Earth orbit — a foundation that now supports more ambitious goals.
Looking ahead, ISRO sets its sights on the Moon once again. Chandrayaan-4, targeted for 2027, is envisioned as a complex sample return mission with a spacecraft mass of about 9,600 kg, aiming to bring lunar material back to Earth. Chandrayaan-5, planned in collaboration with Japan for around 2028, will carry a heavier lander of about 6,150 kg and a 350 kg rover, designed to operate for nearly 100 days, a clear step up from earlier missions.
Further into the future, India works towards a crewed lunar mission by 2040, a goal that demands the development of a next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying up to 70,000 kg to low Earth orbit, along with advanced propulsion systems producing 220-ton thrust. The proposed rocket, rising to the height of a 35–40-storey structure, reflects the scale of ambition now taking shape.
In parallel, India expands its horizons beyond space. The Samudrayaan project aims to send humans to ocean depths of up to 6 km, using a manned submersible with a 2.2-metre titanium crew module capable of withstanding pressures of up to 600 bar. ISRO also studies a Venus Orbiter Mission as part of its evolving interplanetary roadmap.
With human spaceflight, space station development, lunar exploration and interplanetary missions in the pipeline, Narayanan says India is on course to emerge as a leading space power by 2040, strengthening its capabilities across launch systems, satellite technology and deep space exploration.
Evolution of space infra
Total satellite missions accomplished 135
Current operational satellites 56
Nearly 2,150 lives saved in 130 incidents only through search and rescue